Page 25 of Pretend to be Mine
Ben
The party begins to liven up and I can see the tension rolling off Savannah. We get another glass of champagne and I lead her out on the dance floor. I’m fully aware of her parents watching eyes. They’re sitting at their table now that they’ve finished making the rounds and greeting everyone. They keep their eyes on us while they talk quietly amongst themselves.
“They’re still watching us,” Savannah points out.
“Well, we might as well give them a show,” I reply.
She pulls back and gives me a questioning look.
“I’m going to kiss you now. Please, pretend that you like it.”
She smiles but it’s cut off when I lean in and press my lips against hers.
This is our first kiss, and even though it’s pretend—it doesn’t feel pretend. I can feel it in my gut. It’s like a storm is brewing in my core and the longer my lips press against hers, the stronger that storm gets. Her lips are soft and when I slide my tongue into her mouth, her sweetness consumes me. My hands move up to cup her cheeks, holding her against me as I deepen the kiss. Somehow, our feet stop moving and our dancing stops. Now, we’re just two people that are completely still on a dance floor, lost in each other.
The last fucking thing I want to do is stop, but I force myself to slow the kiss and I pull away. Her green eyes are glassy and sparkling and her swollen lips are glistening and parted as she stares at me, dumbfounded.
I smirk. “How about a glass of champagne?”
She nods and snaps her mouth closed.
I lead the way back to the table we’re sitting at with her parents and the waiter is there immediately with fresh glasses. I take a sip and use it to cool my now overheated body. That kiss set my skin on fire. I try to think back to compare it to every other kiss I’ve ever had, but it far exceeds my best memory. That alone scares me. I thought I had found my other half and lost her. It never dawned on me that, maybe, I still hadn’t found her. But I have found her. Savannah. No longer just a neighbor or friend. She’s something more. But what?
Her father goes into what Savannah calls shop talk, asking me more questions about my education and medical background. He asks where I grew up and where I plan to be in the future. I give him a glossed over answer, only adding in that I hope no matter where I am, Savannah is by my side—and it’s not exactly a lie. I don’t know about these urges that have suddenly come over me. The feeling to take things further with her has been growing. I wonder if we’ll become something more or if we’ll just stay friends. Either is okay with me, and maybe that’s exactly what I need to hear from her—that she just wants to stay friends. Maybe then I’ll be able to keep myself in check.
We have dinner and cake for her dad’s birthday and do some more drinking and dancing. We talk, laugh, and have a great time. Before I know it, it’s late and the party is starting to disperse. Savannah takes my hand and leads me toward the door where her mom and dad are waiting and telling everyone goodbye.
“Will you be around in the morning? I’d love to have brunch before you go,” her mother says.
Savannah offers up a small smile. “Unfortunately, our plane leaves first thing in the morning.”
“Awe, well we’ll have to make a plan to get together soon. Maybe your father and I will come there. We need some warmth.”
“Sounds good, Mom,” Savannah says, leaning in and giving her a hug.
“It was nice to meet you, Ben. I hope we can get together soon,” her father tells me.
I shake his hand. “I’d like that. It was nice meeting both of you,” I say as we walk out the doors and to the car. We both climb inside and Savannah lets out a laugh.
“What?”
She looks over at me. “You! They loved you!”
I dust my shoulder off. “Everyone does,” I joke.
Her eyes are wide. “No, they like really loved you. They didn’t even like James that quick.”
I offer up a smile before shifting into drive.
“I’m doomed. They’ll never love a guy as much as they love you. How far you think we can take this? Fake fiancé, fake wedding, fake kids?” she jokes.
I smile and laugh, but somewhere in the back of my mind I’m wondering why it has to be fake. I start allowing myself to do something I never would before. Picture myself with her. I could see us being best friendsanda couple. We’d go to games, cook dinner, and if that kiss was any indication, I’m sure our alone time would be great. Not to mention we both want the same thing out of life. The longer I picture my life with her, the more I want it.
“Let’s stop and have a night cap,” she says as we’re walking back into the hotel.
Savannah leads the way to the bar, and I follow, still lost in thought. She orders a glass of wine and I opt for a bourbon, needing something to help me think clear. I don’t want to move too quickly and scare her off. I mean, this whole thing was supposed to be fake. The number one rule was do not fall in love. This whole time, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Falling in love with my new neighbor and best friend.
“Why you so quiet?” she asks, sipping her wine.
